Michael Vick is just a symbol for all that’s wrong in sports today

Recently I was watching Mike Vick on Fox News. He is currently the star quarterback for the Eagles. Many would remember he played for the Atlanta Falcons but was caught up in a dog fight killing scandal on many of his properties down south. He served his time and got out. Blah, blah, blah. Had a top lawyer and served less than two years. The average citizen would have gotten about 10 years. Yes, he lost money because he had a top contract with the Falcons many would say. Far worse could have happened.

He claims he has found God like many famous people who are caught at something and he is a spokesman with the Humane Association. The host of the show was so impressed by Mike Vick and he had a pal from the Humane Association on with him. Both were patting Mike on the back that he now loves dogs and he lectures kids at Humane Society meetings. All three were almost crying. Give me a hankie and a pot to throw up in. Mike Vick must also have a good press agent.

We put these millionaire athletes on high pedestals and treat them like gods. They are just human beings like anybody else. And when they are caught like in a DUI, or attacking a woman in a bar or a hotel, or shooting or stabbing somebody, they or the team they are with get top attorneys to get them off. Then they pay a fine or go to counseling or pay the person off that they raped, shot or stabbed and all of a sudden they get on TV and say I have changed. There have been so many scandals in all the major college and pro sports in recent years I have lost track.

College has been greatly affected also. All of a sudden Jim Tressel and OSU are evil people. Shame on you Jim for all those naughty scandals under you. Tressel is a good guy and was made a scapegoat. But that is another story. All I can say is the NCAA looks the other way till they no longer benefit from a situation. There have been college scandals going on for decades. OSU was made a scapegoat.

The average person goes to these athletic events and pays high ticket prices to watch a bunch of millionaire athletes. Everything is expensive at these sporting events but the average person still goes, even though many don’t have a pot to spit in. Stop putting athletes on a pedestal. It’s just a game.

Gary Gergel, Youngstown

There’s a way to reduce debt

The government is wonder- ing how to pay its bills, and, or, bring the debt up or down? Why don’t they use their heads? It is so easy to figure out. Stop the wars. They keep saying we are in two wars. We are in five wars. When we drop bombs and shoot people, isn’t that war? We are in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Yemen and Syria.

The largest percent of our tax money and borrowed money is going for war products.

Just think, if we bring all our soldiers home they could spend their money in the USA. No more dead soldiers, no more maimed for life, no more suicide. They can guard our county here. They can guard the Mexico border.

Then we would have money to fix our infrastructure which is very bad. Underground we need to replace our water pipes, our sewage pipes, our wires, etc. Now we are just waiting till they blow up, leak or turn into, sinkholes.

This would create many jobs.

I wish everyone who reads this letter would call their senators and congressman, and tell them to stop these stupid wars. Just think, we are spending most of our taxes, and borrowed money to kill people.

Our country is a mess as I have never seen before. We must straighten our once wonderful country quickly.

Thelma Wertz, Canfield

President’s policies hurt Ohio

We, as Ohioans, recognize the strength of our people. And throughout our years in this great state, we have all witnessed good times, and bad times. On one hand, our governor, John Kasich, signed House Bill 153, which balanced our state’s budget and opens the doors for Ohio to grow. However, on the other hand, many citizens are leaving our area. The amount of jobs throughout the state and nation is at a huge low. As of May, Ohio’s unemployment rate is 8.6 percent. As of June, the United States is at 9.2 percent. Is this acceptable to Ohioans? Is this acceptable to the American people?

We are not only Ohioans, but we are Americans. We live in the greatest nation in the world. We, the people, have accomplished great things throughout our 228 years as a country, and yet we have to accept unemployment rates that are negatively affecting lives everyday? People all over the world crave to enter into our country. Not because we wear cool clothes, or because we have flat screen televisions. It is because this is the land of opportunity, where people are free to vote, own land, and raise a family the way they choose to. Not the way the government tells them too.

As a citizen of this nation, I have witnessed our country go down a path that is scary to contemplate. Our current president has allowed the unemployment rate to skyrocket. Let alone, he spent $666 billion of our hard earned taxpayer dollars to avoid unemployment, which apparently did not work. I had high hopes when the president was elected into office in 2008. However, he has utterly disappointed me and many other Ohioans, but most importantly other Americans throughout our nation who are without jobs and without opportunity.

Do I believe that the United States of America is doomed to fail? Absolutely not. I believe the opposite. We are the greatest nation in the world. We have overcome tragedies like Pearl Harbor and 9/11. We have been challenged and stood strong against the Soviet Union and proven that our strength is greater than fear or scare tactics. I believe that this country is going to be great again. But, to make it great, there is one thing that we as Ohioans, but more importantly, we as Americans must do to make America the nation that we can be proud of again, and that is to elect a new president.

Cathy Lukasko, Brookfield

A plan to save the post offices

The Postal Service should not close post offices, as that is where they make their sales. Government agencies, such as the Postal Service, should be run like a business, matching product and services to demand. In the case of the Postal Service, I propose the following:

Keep most or all post offices open. Keep counters open to receive mail, sell stamps, etc.

Reduce mail delivery to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Most holidays are on Monday, so this would reduce holiday pay.

Daily delivery of regular mail is not needed due to other technology and services.

Vehicle cost for fuel and delivery labor costs would be reduced by 50 percent.

Put most employees on part-time with reduced benefits and/or combine jobs to reduce number of employees.

Provide more P.O. boxes to reduce delivery and to increase box rental income. P.O. boxes could continue to be serviced daily.

Establish a new next day service for the receiver to pick-up at post offices. This service could replace next day delivery by vehicle.

These proposals may not be popular with postal employees and their unions.

Users will reluctantly accept these changes and plan their usage schedules accordingly.

I would like to add that our Postal Services here at North Jackson are excellent, but not essential for business or individuals on a daily delivery basis.

Comments

This writer is whats wrong with news media today. I just wish someone would be responsible enough to write the truth and not their opinion. Michael Vick did not serve a lean prison sentence. They actually made an example out of him. Since his arrest and conviction tougher sentences have been given out because he brought attention to this terrible act. But before Vick got arrested people got slaps on the wrist because there was no media attention when it happened. Judges gave out light sentences no matter what the maximums on the book were. I live in the south. I am speaking from experience. I know people that ran pit bull kennels solely for fighting. I have seen them get arrested. And none of them paid a penalty as severe as Vick did. I know what Vick and others do to animals is wrong but please write the truth. But maybe you don't know the truth because you read another article written by someone else like yourself.So please don't write trash. The mans celebrity status actually hurt him in this case.

chopper, I agree with you 100% and I am an animal lover. Vick seems to be making amends for what he did, and as you said, his celebrity status actually hurt him and also shed light onto the horrible crime of dog fighting. It was a reprehensible thing he did but he seems to be making amends and I give him credit for that. If tougher sentences are being given out because of the notoriety of his case, then that is definitely a positive thing.

Michael Vick is a sociopath. Do the research and read about how he laughed while killing dogs in the most horrific ways. Not all of the dogs killed were pit bulls. Many dogs were families' beloved pets who were stolen to be used as bait dogs. I applaud this writer for not jumping on the Vick bandwagon like so many in the media are doing. Michael Vick is not a role model and I will not be buying any Nike shoes and Denver Muscle Pharm products. I also will not be eating at Subway for sponsoring his Sportsman of the Year award. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion and I wholly support the opinion of this columnist.

vick is a narcissistic sociopath murderer who did not do his time. He served only for racketeering, he never paid for torturing dozens of dogs, and murdering at least 6. He got a slap on the wrist because he is an athlete. The man is evil, and unrepentant. Great article. Chopper, open up your eyes and do some research.

chopperstyle - you reveal that you dont know what you are talking about when you refer to the writer as the media. these are letters to the editor. the dude probably works in a plant somewhere, lives with his parents and has a pet rabbit.the judge sentenced him and he served his time - deal with it.